Honda HR-V e: HEV – A car that sucks full throttle
The HR-V now corresponds to the usual SUV designs and not only gives a nice figure for a Honda. The 4.34-meter-long vehicle stands on 18-inch wheels that emphasize the large wheel arches. The lighting units can not be overlooked, and the radiator grille also expresses self-confidence without appearing aggressive. The roofline falls slightly backwards in a very stylish way. The space for the residents is nice. The seats are comfortable and provide good support.
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Like the small car Jazz, the crossover also has so-called magic seats. The back seats can not only be folded down, but also folded up like in a cinema. You can also transport bulky goods between the two rows of seats. With this practical feature, Honda compensates for the fact that the luggage compartment of 335 liters (including the storage space under the loading floor) is quite manageable. If you lower the backrest of the rear seat, the value rises to 1305 liters.
Inside, the designers have created a good compromise between analog and digital controllers. The 9-inch touch screen is so large that you can see all the functional images even if you are wearing varifocal glasses, but not so big that you think you are on a command bridge. Nice: For example, if you touch the phone symbol, you almost have the feeling of pressing a button. Please, Honda does not do without complete haptic switches and buttons. However, the air conditioning system can still be controlled manually e.g. Voice control did not always want to understand our commands, other systems can do better.
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Own drive system with a total of three engines
Honda is treading a special path when it comes to the drive. The hybrid drive system, called “e: HEV”, consists of two electric motors connected to a 1.5-liter gasoline engine, a lithium-ion battery and a direct drive via a power controller. This is a system that automatically switches between pure electric, hybrid and combustion operation. A 1.5-liter suction engine with 79 kW / 107 hp and 131 Nm is used as the petrol engine. The drive is usually supplied by a 96 kW / 131 hp electric motor with 253 Nm. The second electric motor acts as a generator. There is no longer a gearbox in the conventional sense, but rather a fixed gear ratio.
Depending on the driving situation, you drive electrically, where the electric motor uses the energy stored in the battery of 0.9 kWh. If the energy reserve, which lasts about 2 to 3 kilometers, is used up, the four-cylinder petrol engine drives the second electric motor in hybrid mode, which produces energy for the battery in its function as a generator. At full load, the petrol engine can also act directly on the front axle by means of a locking clutch. It sounds complicated, and it probably is: the system should enable consumption values of 5.4 liters according to WLTP. It works, even quite well. Because Honda has another fuel-saving feature on board: loud hums when accelerating hard.
If you step on the accelerator pedal a little more energetically, for example in the acceleration lane on a motorway slip or when driving up a hill, it gets loud. It rumbles. It’s buzzing. It is frustrating. Even if you turn up the music system, the annoying background noise remains dominant. It takes a while for the system to adjust to the fast power supply. As a result, you try to step on the accelerator gently and be cheerful and relaxed on the road.
On the highway, for example, it helps to cruise just below the recommended speed. The possible top speed of 170 km / h is best ignored. You feel most comfortable with HR-V on country roads and in city traffic at evenly driven speeds, also with activated Eco mode. Here, consumption values below 5 liters are possible. On average, 5.6 liters flowed through the wires during our test runs with a high proportion of highways.
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A little serenity also helps when looking at the price list. At least 30,400 euros must be paid, but for a well-equipped vehicle. The standard range of the Elegance variant includes the extendable and foldable “Magic Seats”, navigation system, reversing camera and information system with the 9-inch touch screen. The Advance comfort level (from 32,600 euros) comes with a two-zone automatic air conditioning, heated leather steering wheel, an electrically operated tailgate and LED fog lights. The top version we drove, Advance Style (from 35,300 euros) includes a two-tone paint job, roof rails and a wireless charging station for smartphones. If you already save at the petrol station, there may still be room for extra equipment, such as metal paint (from 650 euros), black rims (from 1300 euros) and leather (2300 euros).
RND / SP-X
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